Carl W. Peters: American Scene Painter from Rochester to Rockport, by Richard H. Love. University of Rochester Press 1999.

Chronicles the work and career of Peters (1897-1980), a pioneer American regionalist. (A copy of this book was accessioned as the 3 million-first volume in the University Libraries' collection.)

The End of Utopia: Politics and Culture in an Age of Apathy, by Russell Jacoby '74 (PhD). Basic Books 1999. 236 pp., $26.

"Someone who believes in utopias is widely considered out to lunch or out to kill," declares the author, a professor of history and education at UCLA. And, he adds, there is a cost to this cultural retreat.

Having and Raising Children: Unconventional Families, Hard Choices, and the Social Good, co-edited by Julia Bartkowiak '90 (PhD) and Uma Narayan. Penn State University Press.

A historical look at both the park and its incumbent Red Sox. Includes essays by Doris Kearns Goodwin, John Updike, A. Bartlett Giamatti, and others.

The Ph.D. Process: A Student's Guide to Graduate School in the Sciences, by Nicholas Cohen, professor of microbiology and immunology, psychiatry, and oncology, Dale F. Bloom, and Jonathan D. Karp. Oxford University Press 1998.

The graduate school experience--from the application process to writing and defending the dissertation.

Religion in the Workplace: A Comprehensive Guide to Legal Rights and Responsibilities, by Bruce Friedman '82.

Sciences of the Flesh: Representing Body and Subject in Psychoanalysis, by Dianne Sadoff '73 (PhD). Stanford University Press 1998.

When Mark Bocko reaches for a good book, he's looking for adventure. Lately, that means reaching for one about the 1914 Antarctic expedition of British explorer Ernest Shackleton. Each book about the expedition that he describes below is, in its own right, a page-turner for Bocko.

As Bocko tells the story, Shackleton, a veteran of two previous Antarctic expeditions, set out on the ship Endurance with the goal of landing on the Antarctic coast and leading an expedition across the continent. The ship itself ultimately failed to live up to its name: It became trapped in the pack ice within 80 miles of the Antarctic coast and was subsequently crushed by the pressure. However, the ship's name would prove to be an inspiration for its crew.

Lifeboats eventually took them to inhospitable Elephant Island. There, Shackleton regrouped and with a handful of his men set out in one of the lifeboats once more to find help at South Georgia island some 700 miles away. Once there, the group embarked on a 20-mile trek across unmapped mountains and glaciers to reach the whaling stations on the north coast. There they found help to rescue the men trapped back on Elephant Island.

As Bocko says, "This is an amazing story of human endurance and leadership. Explorers are at their best when they're on the edge."

"In my opinion, this is the best written narrative of the Endurance voyage. The original edition (published in the 1940s) in the University library has interesting maps and pictures not appearing in the paperback edition. It's an exciting adventure story."

"This book provides another account of the story with a bit more insight into the human interactions and an excellent photographic record of the journey. Hurley was the original photographer on the expedition. It's an interesting chronicle."

"Shackleton's matter-of-fact recollections of the journey are a study in understatement. For two weeks they were on the edge of survival, and he describes it as a 'cold and difficult journey.' To hear the story told in his and the crew's own words is interesting."

"Roland Huntford, the outstanding biographer of Antarctic explorers, has written an excellent biography of Shackleton that I highly recommend to the truly Shackleton-addicted like myself. One thing that comes to light is that Shackleton's finances were shaky. He borrowed heavily to finance his expeditions and any proceeds from lectures and books afterward usually were needed to pay off his creditors. Plus, his brother was a shady financial dealer who was long suspected of stealing the Irish crown jewels."

Aside from reliving Shackleton's Antarctic odyssey, Bocko also enjoys a good book where murder and intrigue take center stage.

Hush Money, by Robert B. Parker. Putnam Publishing Group 1999.

"The most recent Spenser novel is especially suited to the University community because it's about Spenser's unraveling of a conspiracy and murder in a university tenure case. Parker's breezy and witty writing style provides for thoroughly enjoyable reading. His amusement with stereotypical university characters is obvious."

"This is a tale of intrigue and murder on the professional bass-fishing circuit. Hiaasen's bizarre sense of humor, great characterizations, and improbable plot twists make for a very entertaining read."